


Time is an Essence to be Cherished and Burned

by bewareofbabyjakey



Series: Things We Lost In The Fire [1]
Category: The Creatures (Youtube RPF)
Genre: Gen, Implied Relationships, Multi, Multiple Endings, Zombie AU, heavily inspired by the Walking Dead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-04-07 15:05:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4267824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bewareofbabyjakey/pseuds/bewareofbabyjakey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Circumstances lead them to an abandoned barnyard with nothing, but their scraped bodies and the bare essentials. And it worked. It was home.</p><p>But nothing is permanent in this world. Homes don't exist anymore, and neither does safety.<br/>What is permanent is the choices you make. What is important is time.</p><p>Time leads to decisions, decisions lead to life.<br/>And life's a bitch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Time's Up and the Bells are Ringing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is how the beginning starts to end.

One hour.

 

They were only gone for one hour.

 

It was Jordan and James’ turn to go hunting that day.

Weeks had passed since they stumbled upon this green, green acre, complete with a barn house and stables, and even a horse. After a week of caution and rest, days worth of unconscious settling and attachment towards their surroundings, it was a careful decision to create gates around their perimeter. To protect their temporary base, of course.

Then a routine was put into place. To keep everything equal in the basics, they used matches to decide the weekly job for so-and-so. Someone kept daily post on the roof for any stragglers, someone built stronger and taller defenses; someone organized supplies and most importantly, someone went hunting for these supplies. It happens that food was the most needed one as winter approached with its withering trees and decreasing temperatures.

They were gone for one hour.

The darker haired male had grumbled at his dumb luck when he picked out one of the burnt matches from Seamus’ hands, turning heel and grabbing his shotgun off the corner as he strode through those barn doors. The latter raised a brow and received a giant middle finger in return; Seamus only being able to snort in amusement at what he could only perceive as his typical James.

Jordan just sighed and picked up his quiver of arrows, slinging it along with his hunting rifle. At the last minute he grabbed his special pack of knives. Who knows, maybe they’ll find a nest of birds to defeather. That’s what Dan suggested as he placed a comforting squeeze on his shoulder. Giving a smile to his shorter friend, Jordan returned the gesture with warmth and followed behind James.

They were only gone for one hour.

Through the loft doors and onto the loft itself that Nick stood on, he could see how James paused his heavy stomps as Aleks passed by, his body used as a crutch as Eddie bounced on his one good leg. Last week’s patrol wasn’t a pretty one and it ended with him spraining his left ankle when he tumbled down a hill. Yet he still babbled and giggled, holding tightly onto the struggling Aleks and oblivious to the sudden spike in tension as they passed the scowling James. Or maybe he chose not to get involved.

Jordan shook his head in such a tired manner, lightly smacking James in the back of his head as he walked by. “Save your drama for your llama,” he commented lightly, grinning good naturally as James swore and caught up to him. Just before they entered the edges of the surrounding woods Jordan turned his head back and caught the waving hands of Nick and Steven from their high up position, though it was more of a thumbs up from the smaller man. Then he looked forward and saw only the green leaves taking his sight.

They were only gone for one hour.

The cracks and crunches from their boots stepping into the dry, forest ground lowered their morale a bit, the smallest of critters being quick to leave at the noise, and caused a rather one-sided argument between the two of them about “being a fatass” and “needing to learn where to walk”. The lack of game and hunger itching beneath their skin was making James more irritable and Jordan less tolerable of his insults.

Just as James was ready throw down his gun and start throwing fists, a particularly large snap caught their attention. Before he could ready his gun, Jordan had already taken the shot. His arrow struck deep into the eye of a wandering buck, its body immediately falling to the ground.

They were only gone for one hour.

A whoop almost exploded from James’ mouth, but he managed to contain it to fist in the air and hop to match. “Hordan, look at the size of the thing,” he whispered excitedly. Jordan laughed in a mixture of disbelief at their luck and pride for taking the kill, leaning against a nearby tree as if to catch himself. The buck looked to be an adult male, a large one, and that’s what may last them for a good few weeks during the harsh winter. It’s been a while since anyone’s had fresh meat, and with the right conservation they could last a good two weeks. Less time forcing them to wander into the deep forest, and more time to fortify their defenses and heal.

“Thank god,” Jordan says to himself.

They were only gone for an hour.

The problem was that the two of them weren’t able to drag the animal to their camp. Turns out the creature was a lot heavier than it looked; a curse and a blessing in its form. James swore under his breath, the ache in his back and the crack when he stretched reminded him of his limits. “This is bullshit. It shouldn’t be this difficult to lift this thing when we’ve-”

“-It’s fine,” Jordan interjected. “We just...just need to get something,” he mumbled to himself, using his signature red hat to fan away the humid sweat.

“The truck maybe?”

“Won’t work. We’re in the narrow sides of the woods. Besides, it’d be a noisy wreck going through the branches.” Jordan leaned against an oak and assessed the physical problem before them. Two of them isn’t enough, and dragging it through the ground isn’t all that pleasing when he imagines what kind of insects could latch onto the body.

They were only gone for one hour.

All it took was a glance at the deer’s antlers to bring up a memory.

Worn out black paint slanted to resemble antlers on a wooden door; rusty chains easily pulled apart.

The shed. There was a shed right beside the farm they took shelter in. The items found inside were mementos that obviously belonged to a family, a family with kids and dog, and it was something all of them tried to ignore when they picked off what looked sturdy and can be used as weapons. Jordan recalls some of the things he stepped over; the pink bicycle, the Batman legos, a toddler’s car seat. Another thing that stuck out in this memory was the sled hanging on the walls.

“Maybe we can go back and get the sled? I remember Eddie mentioning to burn it for fire, but Steven wanted to save it. We could grab one of the guys and help us lift this thing back home. The three of us should be able to drag by then, right?”

James hummed thoughtfully, circling the dead buck with contemplation. He gave a slight push against its side before grunting in defeat. “Fine. Sounds better than having its dead ass on our backs.” He picks up his resting weapon, giving a frustrated kick to one of the hooves, and sets off to the direction where they came from. “But let’s hurry. I don’t want any walkers, or any parasites infecting our dinner.” His grumpy tone was betrayed by the sway of his gun at his side.

Jordan grinned. "At least we don't have to eat Betsy now," he called out, tying a loose ribbon on a nearby branch. Childhood camping tips had taught him to leave a trail in case they couldn't find their way back. He repeated this action in the next several yards, until they reached the familiar path of imprinted dirt.

 

They were only gone for one hour.

It wouldn’t be until five minutes later that Jordan noticed the unusual silence around them. Where were the birds? The squirrels? There would at least a twittering bird hanging above them at this time of day.

They were only gone for one hour.

It wouldn’t be until ten minutes after Jordan spoke his observation out loud that James made a sudden concerned expression, sniffing the air. The stench of smoke and ashes reached their senses, like a wisp reaching out and waiting to wrap around them.

They were only gone for one hour.

Their causal stride sped up as the smell grew stronger and closer, accompanied by another scent this time. Burning flesh. Sweat dripped down their foreheads, and James could barely breathe. There had be explanation, had to be a reasonable mistake. Maybe Nick struck a few stragglers down, maybe they’re just burning the bodies right now.

They were only gone for one hour.

Then a series of gunshots echoed in their vicinity. They both started running and running, desperately reaching towards the farm, their shelter, their home. And right there on the edge of the treeline they could see them, Walkers.

Dozens, maybe even more than a hundred were spread around the fields, breaking through the fences and limping towards the barn house. Right next to it was the source of the fire, the reason why Jordan felt a lightning strike inside him. The shed was completely on fire with those monsters running through and burning, burning with all the relics and remnants of what used to be.

James and Jordan stood frozen and watched all that mattered fall apart in what was only a short time. Then they started running straight into the chaos.

They were only gone for one hour.

 **  
** And that was enough for hell to break loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was unbeta'd so I apologize for any mistakes.  
> If you would like to beta, please feel free to send me a message.


	2. The Clock Hits Midnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally wrote in 2014, and finally being edited to join the next chapter.

 

“Come at me, you fucking bastards!” A scream hailed from above. James’ eyes immediately darts to the roof tops where, to his short relief, Nick was running the front end with his sniper rifle in hands. Any Walkers stumbling close were shot to the ground, a bullet burning inside their decayed brains.

“Look behind you!” His head snaps to the side, stepping back from the flailing arms of some reanimated nanny nightmare. Instincts clicks in, and then he’s falling flat on the ground, rolling away as Jordan’s arrow lodged itself into the zombie’s brain. A dark ooze leaked from its head wound as it fell to the ground with a thump. _Sick._

James scrambles back to his feet with only a few seconds to spare. Adrenaline pumps his pace in retrieving his fallen weapon; fear slithering in his veins and making his fingers tremble as they reload his weapon. He was slow, too slow, and a shadow was looming closer.

 

The shotgun was pushed aside and replaced with a sharpened axe. It was Eddie’s usual weapon. James looks up in confusion as he sheaths the gun in his pack and clutches the melee in hand. Jordan’s eyes were darkened by his own panic, voice coming out hoarse from the smoke and run. “Save the bullets, use the axe. We’re gonna need it for the barn. Now!”

Then he took off, sprinting towards the barn’s entrance with a recovered machete and half a dozen undead coming right at him.

James follows close behind, swinging the axe right into the arms that closed in and through the gaping mouths that aimed for the kill. His fingers twitched for his gun, but they needed those bullets. A head is decapitated from a mighty thrust and blood is hitting his chest like a fountain, a fountain of death so thick he was glad that it no longer sickened him that much.

 

The barn door is nothing more than tatters of painted woodchip.

 

“James! Jordan!” Dan’s voice is heard above the groaning and growls; his pistol aimed and fired at the crawlers near their feet. He stands in the second level, gun in one hand and crowbar in the other. Brain matter and bone shards rains on the two as metal slams into Walker skulls, grunting as one almost pushed him out the open window. “Steven is gonna start the car. You gotta help me clear our escape!” It seemed like only more of those creatures were crawling through the cracks.

Jordan nods, switching his handheld for the rifle. “James, cover me! You cover my rear, I’ll take the back.” He shoots the ones climbing up the stairs as Dan clears out the mess on the hayloft. James drops his hatchet and switches for the shotgun. This was definitely better. He aims his gun-

 

-and is interrupted by a familiar screech.

 

James turns his head just in time to watch Eddie trips backwards, over firewood of all things, with an audible crack. Blood seeped through his jeans as the bone jutted out from his ankle, the fucking sprained ankle. He couldn’t even call out for help before a Walker crawled on top of him. Its claws tore into his tattooed chest, spearing into his heart and ripping it out with a wet smack, killing him instantly.

Then two Walkers found their way to his body, each grabbing a limb and sinking their rotted teeth into his flesh. Without even realizing it, James had finally taken his first shot as it blew into the head of the first killer. It did nothing to stop the attraction it caused as two more appear to feast upon his cooling body. Bile rose in the back of James’ throat; he can’t get nerves now, gotta save Jordan. He takes out the ones dragging themselves through the window panes. Concentrate and shoot, breathe and shoot….

 

“Eddie!” Another scream vibrates through the air, one full of panic and anguish. Aleks.

Aleks ran from his post to the boxed in section, baseball bat crunching and smashing through brittle bones as he fights his way to his best friend.

 

“Aleks, what the fuck!” Seamus. It was Seamus. James casted his attention to the blond who was quickly being pushed into one of the horse stalls. The man kicked a crate at the entrance of the fencing in the midst of reloading. The Walkers threw their entire bodies against the gate, separated by the thick plating of wood, and just barely scraping his hoodie.

James swore as reloaded his weapon, telling Jordan to take his turn for now. Bullets whizzed by his ear, almost deafening him in the process.

 

“James! I need to get back to Dan-”

 

“I know, I fucking know! Just shut up and let me fucking do this!” He cuts him off. His palms are soaked with blood, and it’s a struggle just to put the bullets in. Holy fuck, his hands need to stop shaking. “I got it!” Jordan grunts and spun back towards Dan; just in time to save him from being pushed off the ledge.

Shotgun locked and loaded, he shoots the oncoming Walker straight in the face. Too close.

James straightens himself, the ends of his gun straight ahead as he quickly scans the scene-

 

-and is immediately dumbstruck. The rate of his heart is speeding up faster than a hummingbird; his fingers are becoming almost painfully numb from his tight grip.

 

To the left, Seamus is stuck on the far side of his peripheral vision, defending himself from the brunt of the Walkers. He can almost feel the walls shaking from their consistent push against the pillars holding the fences. It's going to break soon.

To the right, Aleks is spinning madly and knocking every skull into a mushy pulp with the bloody bat; his voice full of anger. The look in his eyes is not fully desperate and not fully sane, and James can see the tremble in his arms. He’s going to lose soon.

 

_Shit, shit, SHIT! This can’t be happening._

 

Sweat drips down James’ forehead as his arms automatically handles the gun to shoot the Walkers that got within range of Jordan. He knows he needs to stay in place, but…

 

Seamus is flat against the wall, reloading his weapon as the wood creaks from their force. James can see sweat of his palms disturbing his flow and slowing him-

 

Aleks is still yelling, standing over the body of Eddie as if to protect his body from being anymore mutilated. He doesn’t notice the single crawler drawing near and if James could just get closer without blasting his leg off-

 

He needs to choose. He needs to breathe.

 

_Inhale._

 

_Exhale._

 

_To breathe is to live, and he needs to live._

 

_Live._

 

**_Choose..._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been lying in a doc for over a year, and I think it should be posted to motivate me to write the endings.
> 
> Once again, this has not been beta'd.


End file.
